Our CEO and Trustees Are in Uganda: Developing the New Health Centres Programme
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- 3 hours ago
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This week, Mildmay’s CEO, Geoff Coleman, is in Uganda - the first step in an intensive period of planning, partnership-building, and groundwork for our new network of regional health centres, beginning with our pilot site in Mbale.
He has been joined by several of Mildmay's trustees, who are travelling to work alongside our Ugandan colleagues on strategic planning, governance, and the detailed budget work required before construction can begin.
Their visit marks the next major phase in a programme that will expand access to specialist, integrated care in regions where the need is acute and long-standing.
A Project Rooted in Partnership
Just days before Geoff arrived, Dr Yvonne Karamagi and Research Lead Dr Ronald Mulebeke were in London meeting with NHS clinicians and funders - part of Mildmay Uganda’s ongoing partnerships with the UK and Europe. Their visit underscored exactly why this programme matters: it is built on long relationships, shared expertise, and commitment to strengthening services for communities across Uganda.
Mildmay Uganda has been delivering care, training, and health systems strengthening since 1998. Today, the landscape is changing rapidly: Chronic illness, palliative care needs, childhood disability, and climate change-related health impacts are all rising, while access to specialist diagnostics remains extremely limited in rural and peri-urban regions. Mbale - where we will build our first centre - is a strategic hub with some of the highest unmet needs in the country.
A Mzungu on the Move: Geoff’s Update from on the Ground
In the midst of meetings and long road journeys, Geoff shared this update - a glimpse of the reality of a demanding strategic visit, and a reminder that mzungu (a Bantu term meaning “wanderer” or “foreigner”) often describes exactly how it feels to navigate fast-moving work across continents:
"So, I must apologise for not blogging every day on this trip, but it has been full on.
After arriving in Entebbe on Thursday afternoon, after the usual twenty-four-hour journey, the last thing you need is a two-hour-plus wait for baggage to arrive and then more than an hour for the hotel transfer. In the end, I gave up waiting for the hotel taxi and found my own, eventually making it to the hotel thirty-four hours after setting out from home. I slept well that night.
The next day I had a meeting with the British High Commission, GIlo Young Positives and an interesting company that may be able to project manage the first Project in the Uganda Health Programme.
The next day, Saturday, I spent catching up on work, having been out of the office for three days.
Sunday, the rest of the team arrived on various flights at different times from mid-afternoon to late evening, and so I spent most of my time making sure that the hotel airport pickup service was where they were supposed to be, at the time that they were supposed to be.
By 10 pm, we had the entire team in the hotel, getting a good night’s sleep before an exceptionally busy week travelling many, many miles.
I will update when I can, but I am enjoying the temperatures of the low 30s and encouraging the team to drink lots of water."
Geoff Coleman
CEO, Mildmay Hospital
His note captures the reality of this visit - long travel, frustrating logistical details and many meetings, but also a deep sense of purpose. Geoff and the trustees are there because this programme is moving from concept to action.
Why Their Visit Matters
By the end of this trip, Geoff and the team will have met with:
Mildmay Uganda’s leadership and clinical teams
The British High Commission
Local community partners and churches
Organisations that may support project management, construction, clinical outreach, or community engagement
Regional leaders connected to the pilot site in Mbale
At the same time, Geoff and the trustees are finalising programme budgets so Charlotte, Mildmay’s International Programme Funding Manager, can begin securing all the financing - an estimated £700,000 for build, equipment, and setup.
A Vision for Lasting Impact
The new specialist health centre in Mbale will provide:
High-quality diagnostics and testing
Integrated care for chronic illness and palliative needs
Dedicated services for children with disabilities
Community health outreach and home-based support
Telemedicine links with UK specialists
A platform for training and capacity building led by Mildmay Uganda
Once operational, the centre will be fully managed by Mildmay Uganda - a model that ensures sustainability, local leadership, and long-term impact.
Looking Ahead
This visit marks a milestone: the moment our Uganda programme moves from planning to mobilisation.
It is a programme shaped by local expertise, informed by need, and driven by partnership - and Geoff’s “mzungu” blog offers a fitting window into the determination, humour, and humanity behind it all.
We look forward to more updates as the team continues its work on the ground in the days ahead.
